Jelly Bean Biscotti

Mary Ann Ross and Kimberly Lainson are a mother-daughter team who own and operate The PartyWorks, a fun, colorful online party store with designs specializing in kid's birthday parties, bridal and baby showers and general entertainment a...

Jelly bean biscotti

Have a bunch of jelly beans and want to do something fun -- and a little bit different -- with them? Here's a recipe for colorful jelly bean biscotti!

Biscotti with jellybeans

"Biscotti" is an Italian cookie -- the name means "twice-baked/cooked." This has been my favorite type of cookie since I was very little -- and that was before coffee shops made them so popular!The end result of this cookie recipe is colorful and fun, making it perfect for a party or to make as gifts for friends.As opposed to the old-fashioned spice-flavored jellybeans, there are so many colors and flavors of jellybeans in the stores now -- including Starburst, SweeTarts and Lifesavers jellybean varieties. (And, of course, the most popular jellys of all, Jelly Belly.) So not only can you make this biscotti recipe with a multi-colored blend of beans, you can also create your own unique flavor and/or color combo!

Red, green & white for Christmas

Green for St Patrick's Day

Pinks, reds and white for Valentine's Day

Pink and blue for a baby shower (or pink/white and blue/white, if the baby's gender is known)

Orange and black for Halloween

You can also mix up some exotic flavors for a tropical treat, some fruity standbys for a fruit salad variation, go warm and cozy with cinnamon and apple, or play with one of the suggested Jelly Belly blends, like blueberry muffin or tiramisu. (Get the list of official Jelly Belly "recipes" here!)In the recipe illustrated below, I simply took out the black jelly beans because my boys don't like them!

How to make jelly bean biscotti

Please read through the instructions below completely before starting and have all your ingredients ready -- the dough mixes up very quickly, and you don't want to be caught off-guard.Ingredients: 12-ounce bag of jelly beans (approximate amount) 3 cups flour -- all purpose 2 teaspoons baking powder 1/2 teaspoon salt 4 tablespoons unsalted butter, room temperature 1 cup granulated sugar 4 large eggs 2 teaspoons vanilla 1/4 cup sanding sugar (can be more or less or left out completely) Parchment paper (optional -- but makes it much easier to remove cookies and clean up is easy!)Directions: Preheat oven to 375 degrees. In a medium bowl or electric mixer bowl, add the butter and sugar and cream them together on medium speed until light and fluffy (about two minutes).Add one egg and beat to incorporate, add second egg and incorporate then add third egg and incorporate. (The fourth egg is used later.)Beat in the vanilla then add the baking powder, salt and flour, beating on low speed until fully incorporated -- however, you do not want to mix too long. Notice that the dough is very soft and sticky. Using a spatula, scrape the dough out of the bowl onto a floured surface. Put flour on your hands and sprinkle flour on top of the dough. Then cut the dough in half. (I do a sort of karate chop with my hand, right down the center.)Next, take one half of the dough and roll it gently back and forth making a rope. Pick it up and place it on a cookie sheet with parchment paper. Don't be worried if the dough is so soft it bends when you pick it up -- once you place it on the parchment paper you can shape it a little more. Then repeat the above steps with the second half of the jellybean biscotti dough.Flatten them out on top a little with your palm. Next, beat one egg in a bowl and using a brush -- brush them all over to coat them evenly. Now sprinkle with sanding sugar (optional). Then place them in your preheated oven for about 25 minutes or until they are slightly golden brown. When done -- remove them from the oven. Let them cool for about 10 to 20 minutes or until they are cool enough for you to handle. Place the biscotti loaves on a breadboard and slice them as shown in the photo: crosswise on the diagonal, into about 3/4 inch slices.Put them back on the cookie sheet (inside up) and bake for another 10 to 12 minutes until the edges start to turn slightly brown.Remove from the oven and transfer to wire rack to cool. Store your jelly bean biscotti in airtight container at room temperature. There ty'll keep for about two weeks, if these cookies somehow haven't been eaten by then!